WE ACT Defends Clean Power Plan at NYC People’s Hearing

New York, NY — Today, community leaders, environmental advocates, and public health groups expressed support of the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever nationwide limit on greenhouse gases from existing fossil fuel plants. NYC People’s Hearing on the Repeal of the Clean Power Plan was hosted by NY Attorney General and NYC Mayor in partnership with The New School and NYC Councilmember Costa Constantinides. WE ACT served as a Co-Sponsor of the event. The hearing came as a result of the Trump administration’s decision to not hold any public hearings on the proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan in New York or the East Coast.

Speakers criticized EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan and hold only one hearing in West Virginia. Public hearings in San Francisco, California, Kansas City, Missouri, and Gillette, Wyoming will be held after the public comment period is over. The decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan would produce more air pollution and worsen climate change, exposing New Yorkers to more destructive extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy.

“Repealing the Clean Power Plan would result in premature deaths and breathing in dirty air for low income and communities of color, which are typically where fossil fuel plants are located. The Clean Power Plan, if enforced, would be key to improving climate resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are harmful to respiratory heath. The Clean Power Plan is vital in creating incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy, especially in low to moderate income communities. The Trump administration is adopting backward policies at a time when climate change solutions are necessary,” said Cecil Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

An EPA analysis found that the Clean Power Plan offers $54 billion in health and economic benefits and would prevent 4,500 premature deaths annually by 2030, higher than the original EPA estimate. The Clean Power Plan also intended to increase the transition to clean energy. Clean energy jobs have grown recently, with solar and wind jobs growing at a rate 12 times faster than the rest of the U.S. economy. A majority of Americans in each state support these regulations, which exemplify how governments and organizations are working together to create policies that address climate change and job creation.

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WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan membership-based organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in Harlem, NYC and Washington, DC. Visit us at www.weact.org and follow us on Twitter @weact4ej.